When the banners of the reinforcements led by Tang Peiyi finally came into view, Fan Changyu and the exhausted soldiers behind her felt a renewed hope of breaking through.
Many of the foot soldiers grew excited, fighting the enemy with even greater ferocity.
Guo Baihu also roared in exhilaration, "Damn it, I almost thought my life would end here!"
Tang Peiyi spotted the vanguard flag of Fan Changyu's unit and led his reinforcements toward them. Seeing their encirclement was futile, the rebel commander raised his signal flag and galloped away, swiftly issuing orders through flag signals.
The rebels pursuing Fan Changyu and her men loosened their grip, allowing them to quickly merge with Tang Peiyi's reinforcements.
Tang Peiyi, still mounted, looked at Fan Changyu with surprise. "So it was you who adapted to the battlefield, leading the right flank as the vanguard into the enemy formation?"
Changyu was in a wretched state—her helmet long lost, her small topknot barely holding, her face smeared with blood and dust. Only her piercing black eyes remained fierce, like a tiger descending the mountain.
Exhausted, she leaned on her Horse-Cutting Sword to stay upright. She was about to clasp her fists in response when Tang Peiyi, noticing her group's fatigue, waved his hand to dismiss the formality. "The right flank has performed exceptionally. Once this battle is over, I will personally commend you before Lord He!"
The weary soldiers behind Changyu perked up at his words, their faces lighting up with joy.
But then, chaos erupted on the frontlines. Through the throngs of figures, Changyu and her men couldn't discern what was happening. Tang Peiyi, however, turned his head sharply, his expression hardening. "The rebels are trying to encircle General He! Follow me to reinforce him!"
With Tang Peiyi's troops clearing the way, Changyu and the right flank finally had a moment to catch their breath.
Tang Peiyi led his cavalry to break through the rebels encircling He Jingyuan's five thousand troops, swiftly tearing open a gap. Changyu then led the right flank through the breach, cutting down rebel foot soldiers on either side to widen the opening, ensuring the trapped Jizhou troops could retreat if needed.
With Tang Peiyi and He Jingyuan drawing the rebels' main forces, Changyu's unit only had to deal with scattered foot soldiers, making their task far easier than before.
But suddenly, Tang Peiyi's cavalry formation inexplicably collapsed, allowing rebel forces to penetrate their ranks.
Changyu and the others strained to see what was happening at the center of the battlefield, but the shifting figures obscured their view.
Guo Baihu cursed, "What the hell is going on up front?"
Then, a rebel voice roared, "He Jingyuan is dead!"
The cry spread like wildfire, electrifying the rebels.
Among the Jizhou troops—whether Tang Peiyi's cavalry or Changyu's right flank—shock and fear flickered across their faces. He Jingyuan was the commanding general of this campaign against Chongzhou. If he was dead, how could the battle continue?
Changyu pressed her cracked lips together, glanced toward the chaotic battlefield ahead, and turned to the surviving soldiers under her command. "Stay here and protect Baihu. You don’t need to follow me!"
With that, she charged straight toward the heart of the battlefield.
Xie Zheng had once told her—He Jingyuan was an old friend of her parents.She had been in Chongzhou for so long, staying dutifully in the military camp without using Grand Tutor Tao or Xie Zheng's influence to directly approach He Jingyuan and ask about her parents. She wanted to rely on herself to rise through the ranks, earn the right to meet He Jingyuan, and then inquire about her parents' affairs.
She intended to avenge her parents with her own abilities. In this matter, Fan Changyu was unwilling to overly depend on Grand Tutor Tao and Xie Zheng.
Who would have thought that in this first major battle, she was unharmed, but He Jingyuan, the commander, had died?
No matter what, she wanted to fight her way to the front to see for herself.
Without hesitation, Xie Wu followed her forward. Some loyal soldiers, seeing this, also picked up their weapons to join, but they were stopped by Guo Baihu, who had just beheaded a rebel. Furious, his beard almost bristling, he cursed, "What, do you all think your heads are too securely attached to your necks?"
One of the soldiers burst into tears, sobbing, "General He is dead. Squad leader Fan must be fighting her way in to find him. I want to go in and retrieve General He's body too."
He Jingyuan was renowned for his love of the people and his soldiers, treating them like his own children. Both the military and civilians of Jizhou held him in high esteem.
Hearing the sudden news of his death on the battlefield, the soldiers below were thrown into disarray.
Guo Baihu slapped the crying soldier across the face and roared, "Playing the hero isn't your job! Don’t you know your own limits? Hold this gap for me!"
Fan Changyu fought her way forward. To get a better view of the battlefield ahead, she even seized a horse from a rebel.
She didn’t recognize He Jingyuan, but seeing Tang Peiyi locked in combat with a Chongzhou general, she urged her horse toward them.
Tang Peiyi turned and spotted Fan Changyu, shouting urgently, "Quick, save General He and get him back to camp!"
Hearing Tang Peiyi's shout, Fan Changyu felt a wave of relief.
He Jingyuan wasn’t dead!
The earlier news must have been spread by the rebels to demoralize their troops.
She scanned the area and spotted a Jizhou general who had fallen from his horse, struggling against rebel soldiers. She cut her way through, shouting at the top of her lungs, "General He, is that you?"
The old general looked up. Even with his beard stained red from coughing up blood and his face smeared with grime, Fan Changyu recognized him instantly—he was the general who had once instructed her in swordsmanship.
Her heart pounded. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, but the dangers of the battlefield forced her to push them aside for now. Swinging her Horse-Cutting Sword, she carved a path through the enemy and reached the old general, extending a hand. "General, let me get you out of here!"
After cutting down another rebel soldier, He Jingyuan leaned heavily on his long sword to steady himself. His weary, aged eyes studied Fan Changyu, a faint trace of approval in his gaze. "It's you... cough cough ..."
He covered his mouth, coughing violently. Despite his efforts to hide it, blood seeped through his fingers.
Fan Changyu realized He Jingyuan's condition was dire. Her gaze dropped to the broken arrow embedded in his chest armor, the surrounding metal already soaked red with blood.
As more rebel generals closed in like hyenas, and He Jingyuan, severely wounded, could barely lift his sword, she didn’t hesitate. With a battle cry, she leaped from her horse and charged forward, blade raised.When Xie Wu arrived, Fan Changyu shouted at him, "Quick, take General He and go!"
He Jingyuan recognized Xie Wu and naturally understood that his presence on the battlefield was likely on Xie Zheng's orders to protect Fan Changyu.
Perhaps sensing his impending doom, He Jingyuan thought of the tangled grievances between the Xie and Fan families of their fathers' generation. Watching Fan Changyu, who was fighting several young Jizhou officers to cover his retreat, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Xie Wu helped He Jingyuan onto a horse while Fan Changyu fought a retreat, struggling not to be trapped in the rebels' encirclement.
Meanwhile, Tang Peiyi was ultimately no match for Changxin Wang. With a sweep of his staff, Changxin Wang knocked Tang off his horse. Tang rolled on the ground to evade the opportunistic stabs from the enemy soldiers below.
Seeing He Jingyuan being rescued, Changxin Wang spurred his horse forward in pursuit, bellowing, "Where do you think you're going, you Wei family dog!"
He thrust his Lion-Head Spear forward. Xie Wu raised his weapon to block, but the sheer force of Changxin Wang's strike forced him to one knee, his kneecap sinking into the yellow earth. The back of his blade pressed against his shoulder, and even through his armor, blood began to seep from the wound.
Xie Wu clenched his teeth so hard that the metallic tang of blood filled his mouth. His fingers, white-knuckled around the hilt, couldn't lift the Lion-Head Spear pressing down on his blade even a fraction.
Changxin Wang exerted more force, and Xie Wu coughed up blood but still refused to let go, his eyes fixed fiercely on the prince.
Changxin Wang laughed heartily. "What a fine lad! Even a mere foot soldier has such skill. Truly a waste in Jizhou. Why not serve under me?"
Xie Wu spat fiercely in response.
Changxin Wang's expression darkened. "Ungrateful wretch!" he roared.
He raised his Lion-Head Spear to strike Xie Wu down, but He Jingyuan, barely holding on atop his horse, mustered the strength to block the blow with his own spear.
He Jingyuan was not only wounded by arrows but also severely injured internally. The slightest exertion sent him into a coughing fit, his organs feeling as though they were tearing apart.
After blocking that single spear thrust, he slumped over his horse, coughing uncontrollably, and urged Xie Wu, "Don't worry about me! Run!"
Changxin Wang sneered. "What's the hurry? None of you will escape today!"
He swung his Lion-Head Spear in a wide arc, aiming for Xie Wu again, but a black iron longsword suddenly intercepted his weapon.
The clash sent a numbing shock through Changxin Wang's hand, and he turned in surprise to see the newcomer.
The figure wore the tattered uniform of a Jizhou foot soldier, face smeared with blood and dirt. Though slight of build for a man, the way he stood gripping the longsword exuded an air of holding the pass against ten thousand.
Changxin Wang mused, "How strange. Today, the foot soldiers of Jizhou seem to grow more formidable by the minute."
Fan Changyu growled, "To slay a traitorous subject like you, foot soldiers like us are enough!"
Her voice was hoarse, resembling a young man's, which for the moment didn't arouse Changxin Wang's suspicion.
Changxin Wang scoffed. "Arrogant brat! Take this!"
He spurred his horse forward, launching a rapid series of spear thrusts. Fan Changyu blocked and dodged, but aside from Xie Zheng and He Jingyuan, this was her first time facing such a skilled commander. His attacks were swift and unpredictable, leaving her struggling to keep up.Seeing Fan Changyu at a disadvantage, Xie Wu knew the ruthless Prince of Changxin would show no mercy. His anxiety burned like fire. When Tang Peiyi finally fought his way through the minor soldiers, Xie Wu immediately instructed him to protect He Jingyuan and retreat while he rushed to assist Fan Changyu.
Tang Peiyi, torn between concern for Fan Changyu and worry over He Jingyuan's injuries, escorted He Jingyuan back to the Jizhou army lines. Noticing He Jingyuan's pale lips, he couldn't help but curse, "That damned Prince of Changxin, ambushing during combat—what kind of tactic is that? If not for this arrow wound, you might have bested him!"
He Jingyuan's expression darkened as he recalled the arrow strike.
Being hit by stray arrows wasn't uncommon on the battlefield, but he had an inkling of who truly loosed that shot—intending for him to die beneath the Prince of Changxin's blade.
Was the Prime Minister so desperate to silence him, fearing he might reveal the truth about the Fan couple?
And was Wei Qilin truly innocent in that grain transport mishap years ago?
Suddenly gripping Tang Peiyi's arm with difficulty, he rasped, "Go... bring that child out."
Tang Peiyi froze momentarily before realizing He Jingyuan likely meant Fan Changyu. Unwilling to let such a promising talent perish under the prince's hand, he quickly replied, "I'll go aid her at once! My lord, return to camp for treatment!"
Fan Changyu and Xie Wu fought side by side, yet the Prince of Changxin's onslaught remained overwhelming.
Her swordsmanship had improved, but compared to a seasoned veteran like the prince—who had decades of battlefield experience—she was still too green. Exhaustion further dulled her attacks.
Noticing her martial style, the prince suddenly asked while sizing her up, "What is He Jingyuan to you?"
Panting as she leaned on her Horse-Cutting Sword, Fan Changyu shouted, "He is my Jizhou army commander!"
The prince sneered. "This blade technique was jointly created by the two tiger generals of the Wei clan—He Jingyuan and his sworn brother. That brother died years ago, leaving only He Jingyuan who still practices it. How could a mere foot soldier inherit his true teachings?"
Fan Changyu stiffened at these words.
Her father had taught her this technique, and He Jingyuan had recognized it instantly during their training.
Could her father have been He Jingyuan's sworn brother?
Before she could process this, the prince's spear tip twisted as he charged toward her on horseback: "Once I capture you, I'll negotiate terms with He Jingyuan while he still clings to life!"
Fan Changyu wasn't foolish enough to block the mounted strike head-on. Heeding Xie Wu's warning, she dodged aside.
Just then, Tang Peiyi returned on horseback to assist them. Seizing the moment while Tang Peiyi engaged the prince, Fan Changyu used her sword's reach to slash at the horse's hind legs.
The steed collapsed sideways, but the prince vaulted clear using his spear, landing steadily with a fierce glare.
Tang Peiyi's charge failed, and as he wheeled his horse around with a roar—"Die, traitor!"—the prince mimicked Fan Changyu's earlier move, spinning to stab Tang Peiyi's mount.
The panicked horse bolted wildly across the battlefield, forcing Tang Peiyi to leap off and tumble repeatedly before stopping.
By now, Fan Changyu and Xie Wu were utterly spent, their bodies littered with wounds. Xie Wu had sustained internal injuries earlier while parrying the prince's blows and was barely holding on.Fan Changyu understood that even if she and Tang Peiyi joined forces now, they were no match for Changxin Wang.
She was utterly exhausted, barely able to swing her Horse-Cutting Sword anymore. Dragging this out would only result in Changxin Wang overpowering them first.
Her gaze fell upon a young Chongzhou officer riding to aid Changxin Wang. Suddenly, she lunged toward him.
The officer noticed Fan Changyu's intent and hastily raised his spear to thrust, but she grabbed the shaft and yanked him off his horse. With one hand gripping the saddle, she vaulted onto the galloping steed. Seizing the moment while Changxin Wang was occupied with Tang Peiyi, she swung her blade sideways in a sweeping slash.
Changxin Wang narrowly dodged and attempted to pursue, but two legs were no match for four. Tang Peiyi, catching Fan Changyu's signal, swiftly retreated as well.
By the time other Chongzhou reinforcements arrived, Changxin Wang had commandeered a horse and gave chase.
Fan Changyu lay flat against the horse's back, avoiding combat and leading Changxin Wang on a wild pursuit. She panted harder than the galloping steed beneath her, trying to buy time to recover her strength.
Changxin Wang seemed to realize her plan. He drew the great bow from his horse's back, nocked a white-feathered arrow, and loosed it at Fan Changyu.
Feeling the arrow whistle past her scalp, she had the chilling thought that today might be her last. She pressed herself even lower against the horse.
When his arrows missed their mark, Changxin Wang aimed for her mount instead.
The horse screamed as an arrow struck its leg, sending it crashing to the ground. Fan Changyu tumbled, her Horse-Cutting Sword clattering aside. Gasping for breath, she seemed utterly spent.
Changxin Wang pressed his Lion-Head Spear against her throat, then frowned deeply upon noticing her lack of an Adam's apple. "A woman?"
Fan Changyu, her face drained, remained silent.
He drove the spearhead beneath her breastplate at the ribs, intending to hoist her onto his horse. But as he grabbed her collar to sling her over the saddle, Fan Changyu struck—drawing the Boning knife hidden beneath her vambrace and plunging it deep into Changxin Wang's unarmored armpit.
Her years as a butcher served her well—she knew exactly where bone, sinew, and cartilage lay. The blade sank to the hilt without resistance.
"You—" Changxin Wang stared at his sleeve, now soaked in blood, then at Fan Changyu, speechless.
Clenching his jaw against the blood rising in his throat, he drew a dagger and slashed at her neck. Still pinned by his spear, Fan Changyu had no room to dodge. She caught the blade with her bare hand, gripping it tightly to halt its descent toward her throat.
It was a desperate gamble—whether Changxin Wang would succumb to the knife in his ribs first or she would falter from pain and exhaustion.
Her vision blurred from agony and blood loss, sweat streaming down her temples. Just as her grip began to fail, Changxin Wang shuddered violently, the blood he'd held back now gushing from his mouth.
A white-feathered arrow had pierced his heart, its triangular tip even punching through his mountain-pattern armor, the bloody point protruding from his chest.When Prince Changxin toppled from his horse, Fan Changyu was still impaled on his Lion-Head Spear through her breastplate. With both hands severely cut and burning with pain, she couldn't free herself in time and was dragged down with him.
Yet in that moment of falling, she spotted a figure standing with a bow atop a distant horse.
The man bore a hideous scar running from his nose bridge across his left cheek. His right eye was covered, as if the scar extended upward to that eye.
Fan Changyu recognized him—he was the one who had saved her when she nearly drowned in an icy lake at the hands of mountain bandits.
As she fell, the man had already spurred his horse toward her. Amidst the chaotic battlefield where slaughter raged everywhere, everything around her seemed to freeze—only the dust kicked up by his galloping horse remained in motion.
A blade sliced through her breastplate, the Lion-Head Spear clattered to the ground, and she was swiftly hauled onto the horse's back.
When her back pressed against the man's chest, Fan Changyu gasped his name: "Yan Zheng?"
But she didn't hear his reply. The familiar scent of him made the tension in her mind dissolve, and she fainted from exhaustion and blood loss.
So she never knew how tightly he held her—his arms trembling faintly—
Fan Changyu woke two days later.
It wasn't due to severe injuries, but sheer exhaustion.
Peeling her eyes open and realizing she was in her own military tent, she sighed in relief. Just as she tried to sit up, she winced—her entire body ached, and her hands were wrapped into thick bundles.
Drawing a shallow breath, she recalled the person she'd seen before passing out, now uncertain whether it had been real or a hallucination.
Out of habit, she called out: "Xiao Wu?"
Hearing no response, she remembered Xie Wu had also been struck by Prince Changxin in battle, coughing up blood—he was likely still recovering in the infirmary tent.
Using her bandaged hands like clumsy mitts, she tried to prop herself up slowly when the tent flap suddenly lifted.
Xie Wu entered, carrying a steaming bowl of medicine. "Squad leader called for me? I was just outside preparing your medicine."
Fan Changyu hurriedly asked, "How are your injuries?"
Xie Wu replied, "Just minor wounds. Mostly healed now."
His voice was the same, but his entire demeanor seemed subdued, making Fan Changyu feel oddly unsettled.
She studied him in surprise, noticing he seemed taller.
Puzzled, she asked, "Xiao Wu, how old are you this year?"
Xie Wu answered, "Seventeen."
Fan Changyu nodded in sudden understanding. "No wonder you look taller—still growing, then."
She stretched out her mitten-like hands to take the medicine bowl, but Xie Wu hesitated. "Your hands are injured. Should I feed you?"
Fan Changyu gave him an even stranger look.
Xie Wu lowered his eyes. "The army doctor said both your hands suffered tendon damage. Without proper care, you might struggle to wield weapons in the future."
Fan Changyu glanced at her heavily bandaged hands. "So it's that serious."
Her tone betrayed no concern as she asked instead, "What about our squad's casualties?"
Xie Wu answered, "Thirteen dead, seventeen severely wounded. The rest have minor injuries."As if aware that Fan Changyu had just joined the army and might not yet understand the casualty rates in each campaign, he added, "It's common for the vanguard forces to be completely wiped out. Suffering only half casualties is already fortunate. Squad leader, you needn't blame yourself too much."
Though he said so, Changyu's heart still grew heavy. She said, "When the army's compensation funds come through, send my share of the reward along to their families."
Xie Wu glanced at Fan Changyu and said, "Squad leader, you killed Changxin Wang (Prince of Changxin) and claimed the first merit in this battle. The reward will be at least a thousand taels of silver."
Fan Changyu froze. "I killed him?"
Xie Wu nodded.
Fan Changyu tried to recall the events before she lost consciousness. She remembered stabbing Changxin Wang, but it was Xie Zheng who finished him off with an arrow before he breathed his last.
Frowning, she asked Xie Wu, "He... didn’t come to the army? I remember seeing him on the battlefield. He was the one who shot Changxin Wang and saved me."
Xie Wu’s eyes darkened unexpectedly, deep and still like the abyss untouched by sunlight for millennia. "The Grand Tutor was ambushed on his way to the capital and disappeared. The Marquis, concerned for the Grand Tutor’s safety, went to investigate those who abducted him. He was never in Chongzhou."
Fan Changyu’s expression changed instantly at his words. "Foster Father!"
Overcome with agitation, she tried to stand but collapsed back onto the bed from the soreness in her muscles. Xie Wu swiftly reached out to steady her but withdrew his hand the moment he noticed the bite mark on his index finger.
Too preoccupied to notice Xie Wu’s momentary unease, Fan Changyu muttered to herself, "Why would Foster Father suddenly go to the capital when everything was fine?"
Thinking of Changxin Wang’s death, she insisted, "I only stabbed him under the armpit. The arrow in his body wasn’t mine—someone helped me, a one-eyed Scarface Man..."
She had wanted to say that person was likely Xie Zheng.
But Xie Wu cut her off. "When General Tang and I arrived, Squad leader, you were lying on the ground beside your horse, gripping a broken arrow in your hand. There’s no doubt you killed Changxin Wang. Could it be that after the battle, you’ve been haunted by a Nightmare?"
Hearing this, Fan Changyu looked momentarily lost.
Could it be that she had been so disoriented she misremembered? Had she stabbed Changxin Wang with the arrow herself, while her subconscious tricked her into believing someone had saved her?
Still lost in thought, a gruff voice called from outside the tent, "Is Squad Leader Fan here?"
Xie Wu lifted the tent flap and replied, "Yes. What business do you have with our squad leader?"
The man answered, "General He has summoned Squad Leader Fan."
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